Latest news with #Thevar
CNA
15-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
Two-Michelin-starred Thevar moves to Mohamed Sultan shophouse with modern South Indian-inspired touches
With Thevar's move to a new home at Mohamed Sultan Road, chef Manogren Thevar, better known as Mano, finally has a space that really feels like his own. When he first opened Thevar at Keong Saik Road in 2018, the modern Indian restaurant took over the space previously occupied by Meta, helmed by close friend and business partner Sun Kim. Minimal changes were made and 90 per cent of the kitchen equipment had been handed down. 'I always felt like it was Meta. I didn't feel like it was my own restaurant,' Mano said. This, on the other hand, 'is a restaurant that I really built for myself'. Occupying two floors of a heritage shophouse, the new Thevar's interiors are modern while incorporating subtle South Indian touches in a nod to the Penang-born 35-year-old's ancestral heritage. Design elements include homages to traditional Chettinad architecture as well as temples and meeting places built by the kings of southern India's ancient Chola empire. Meanwhile, the exterior retains the shophouse's original Peranakan elements and bold Chinese characters. 'I grew up in a multi-racial community with Chinese, Peranakan, Malay and Indian culture, and I moved to Singapore when I was 20 years old,' Mano said. 'Penang and Singapore are quite similar, including the architectural ideas. I want to keep that tradition. But, once you come inside, it goes back to my heritage and where my grandparents are from', namely, Karaikudi in Tamil Nadu. With more than double the space, the new Thevar, which was nearly two years in the making, can seat at least 28 people in the main dining room, and also features a three-person chef's table in the kitchen area. The private dining room upstairs can accommodate 10 and has its own kitchen and restroom that even comes equipped with a shower. Mano plans to use this space as an R&D kitchen as well as to offer special, one-time menus with no rules or boundaries. As for the main cooking space, he had the opportunity to design his dream kitchen from scratch. 'Here, everything is new. Now, we have a proper walk-in chiller. We never had a walk-in chiller. We just had a four-door freezer,' he shared. There's also a custom Acuarinox grill from Barcelona, which he's the first in Singapore to have after spotting it in a restaurant while on holiday in Spain last year. While the reopening menu features a couple of new dishes, Thevar's DNA won't change, and nor will the prices, Mano said. The tasting menu remains at S$298++ per person. However, now, the restaurant will have just one seating a night instead of two, which allows for dining at a more leisurely pace. 'I just want to cook tasty food for sharing,' said Mano, who has earned accolades such as ranking at No 70 on this year's Asia's 50 Best list for his elevated plates incorporating European techniques with Indian flavours. 'There's no show. There's no story in my food. There's no grandmother's recipe or mum's recipe. I just cook whatever I like,' he insisted. Growing up in Malaysia and living in Singapore, 'there's a lot of good food. Those flavours are always in my mind. Travelling, I learn something new. You just wake up and come up with new ideas, new dishes. I think that's what it's all about. But still keeping the flavours, taste and temperature the way they are supposed to be: Hot is hot, cold is cold. At the end of the day, people remember the taste and the whole idea of a dish.' With time, as the restaurant settles in, the menus will 'adapt and grow with the place', he said. 'I still remember that when I started Thevar, to be honest, I didn't have a direction. We grew every day. We learned from our mistakes and never repeated them. I think the same thing is going to happen here.' With the move, he's now just a few doors down from Meta, something he and Sun have been hoping for ever since Meta moved to 9 Mohamed Sultan Road two years ago. And, at the same time, there is space to develop in different directions. 'I always wanted to have a restaurant that I built for myself. It also shows my team that we didn't have to have a brand new, luxury kitchen to achieve all this. Even with everything secondhand, you still can do it, as long as your food is cooked from your heart.'
The Star
26-05-2025
- The Star
Teluk Intan Municipal Council reverses decision on vandal after talks with MIC
PETALING JAYA: A man who was arrested for allegedly vandalising the Teluk Intan Municipal Council building has reached an agreement with the council, enabling him to rent the shop lot again. MIC vice president Datuk T. Murugiah stated that the municipal council had initially declined to lease a shop lot to a man named Thevar because of a previous incident in which he reportedly damaged the entrance of the council office. "I held a meeting with the council's president, Zairul Akmal Kasim, during which I explained the situation and appealed for reconsideration. After a positive and constructive discussion, he agreed to allow the shop lot to be rented again to Thevar," said Murugiah in a statement on Monday (May 26). "Furthermore, I respectfully asked the president to consider withdrawing the police report filed against Thevar," he added, noting that the council agreed to consult with the Investigating Officer on the potential withdrawal of the report. ALSO READ: Man nabbed for smashing Teluk Intan Municipal Council building glass doors On May 8, Thevar allegedly used a sledgehammer to damage the council office's entrance because the council erected a tent in front of his watch repair shop during the Chitra Pournami celebration. On the same day, Hilir Perak OCPD Asst Comm Dr Bakri Zainal Abidin said that the 63-year-old suspect was taken into custody after a complaint was lodged at 10:35am. "Investigations found that the suspect arrived at the scene on a motorcycle, parked in front of the council's building, and then took a sledgehammer to break the glass doors. "After the incident, the suspect attempted to leave the scene and head to his shop in Jalan Bandar, Teluk Intan, but was apprehended and handed over to the police," he said.
The Hindu
26-04-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Nainar Nagenthran
On April 11, the BJP ensured a smooth transition in its State leadership in Tamil Nadu. Nainar Nagenthran, a three-time MLA from Tirunelveli who also served as a Minister in Jayalalithaa's Cabinet, was unanimously elected as the State unit president of the party. The next day, he took over the reins from K. Annamalai, a former IPS officer who galvanised the party through his aggressive style of functioning. Mr. Nagenthran's elevation from the post of vice-president of the State unit was seen as a strategic move by the BJP's high command to strengthen its relations with the AIADMK, which revived its ties with the national party earlier this month, nearly 19 months after walking out of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), accusing the then BJP State leadership of slandering its icons. The political career of Mr. Nagenthran has seen both successes and setbacks. Born in 1960 at Vadiveeswaram in Nagercoil, in Tamil Nadu's southernmost Kanniyakumari district, Mr. Nagenthran traces his roots to Panagudi, a village nestled in the neighbouring Tirunelveli district. With an early interest in the natural sciences, he pursued a Bachelor's degree in Botany from Arignar Anna College in Kanniyakumari. He later enrolled in MDT Hindu College in Tirunelveli, for a Master's in Tamil literature, a course he eventually discontinued to focus on agriculture and his family's business ventures. People of T.N. no longer want DMK in power, says Nainar Nagenthran A staunch admirer of legendary actor and former Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran, he was drawn to politics in his college days, inspired by MGR's charisma and ideology. He joined the AIADMK and quickly became active in its students' wing, marking the start of a long and loyal association with the party for nearly three decades. When MGR passed away in 1987 and the AIADMK faced a turbulent split, Mr. Nagenthran threw his weight behind the Jayalalithaa-led faction, cementing his place in her camp. His steadfast commitment and grassroots connection did not go unnoticed. Jayalalithaa appointed him deputy secretary in 1988 and then district secretary in 1989 of the party's literary wing in the undivided Tirunelveli district. Later, from serving as the Valliyoor union secretary, he rose steadily through the ranks, earning the trust and confidence of party supremo Jayalalithaa, and was eventually elevated to the post of State secretary of the AIADMK's Amma Peravai. While Mr. Nagenthran, who belongs to the influential Thevar community in southern Tamil Nadu, had long been a dedicated party functionary, it was in 2001 that a major break came his way — a foray into electoral politics. Recognising his years of grassroots work, Jayalalithaa handpicked him as the party's candidate for the Tirunelveli Assembly constituency. Despite a favourable wave for the AIADMK-led alliance in the 2001 elections, Mr. Nagenthran could only scrape through with a narrow win. To his surprise, Jayalalithaa inducted him into her Cabinet and entrusted him with the Transport portfolio. Later, he went on to become Minister for Electricity and Industries. In the 2006 elections, the DMK came to power, and Mr. Nagenthran narrowly lost the Tirunelveli seat by just 606 votes. The same year, the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption filed a case against him for allegedly amassing wealth disproportionate to his known sources of income, leading to raids on his properties in Chennai and Tirunelveli. He made a strong comeback in the 2011 Assembly elections, winning Tirunelveli by over 38,000 votes. However, he was not inducted into Jayalalithaa's Cabinet. In the 2016 elections, he lost the same seat again by a slim margin of 601 votes. Joining BJP Following Jayalalithaa's death in December 2016, he joined the BJP in August 2017 in the presence of the then national president Amit Shah, citing inspiration from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership. Shortly thereafter, he was appointed vice-president of the BJP's Tamil Nadu unit. In 2018, he sparked a controversy by reportedly threatening Tamil lyricist Vairamuthu in a protest over the latter's alleged remarks on Andal, one among the 12 Alwars (Vaishnavite minstrels). A case was filed against him. In the 2019 general elections, Mr. Nagenthran contested from the Ramanathapuram Lok Sabha constituency but lost by nearly 1.2 lakh votes. After the 2019 elections, the then BJP State President Tamilisai Soundararajan was appointed Governor of Telangana. Mr. Nagenthran was speculated to be her successor, but the party chose L. Murugan instead. In the 2021 Assembly elections, he won the Tirunelveli seat as a BJP candidate. As the senior-most among the four elected BJP MLAs — three of whom were first-timers — he was appointed the legislature party leader. In both the 2019 and 2021 elections, the BJP contested in alliance with the AIADMK. Even as the legislature party leader, Mr. Nagenthran continued to maintain a composed demeanour in the Assembly during fiery debates. Despite being a sitting MLA, he managed to get a ticket in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections but failed to succeed from his home turf, Tirunelveli. With his recent elevation to the State BJP's top post, it remains to be seen whether Mr. Nagenthran would be able to sustain the momentum built by Mr. Annamalai and lead the party to new electoral successes.
